Chopta it is if you want to be “far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife”
and enjoy the magnificent views of the Himalaya from the alpine meadows.

Chopta lies between Kedarnath and Badrinath, at an edge of Kedarnath Wildlife
Sanctuary, to the north central part of Uttaranchal. Uttaranchal is now Uttarakhand
which was formed out the state of Uttar Pradesh in India on 9 November 2000,
and is also known as Dev Bhumi.

The distance from Makkumath to Dugalbetta is 8 Kms, next to Chopta is another
12 Kms, and a trek from Chopta to Tunganath is 3 Kms and after 1 more Km is
Chandrashila. As can be seen from above, there is a rapid change of altitude
in a short distance.

This region belongs to the Temperate zone where, in winters, most of this
area is covered in snow and in the higher reaches the temperature can plummet
to -15C. During Monsoons the area receives almost 2000 mm of rain so landslides
etc. can be a deterrent. The local tea shops etc. are open from 30th April
to 20th Oct. at Chopta.

The habitat can broadly be termed as Quercus forest ~2600m, Rhododendron forest
~3000m, grasslands ~3400m. I have found that the Rhododendron can be an altitude
marker. At Makkumath, Rhododendron arboreum (Red flowers) is found. At Chopta,
R. barbetum (Pink flowers). At treeline near Devdarshini, R. Campanulatum
(white flowers). At Tunganath, the shrubs of R. anthopogon. At Chandrashila,
R. lepidotum etc. The flowering period is April/May only.

The
whole region shows immense biodiversity. Many varieties of Lichens grow here
on wood, soil and rock substrates. The Cobra Plant, Arisaema utile, always manages
to catch your attention. The plants and herbs found here are used for traditional
healthcare medicines, beverages (the flowers of Rhododendron arboreum, locals
call it "Burans", gives the Rhododendron juice), dyes and insecticides etc.
The fibers of these plants are also used for handicrafts, ropes, mats, baskets
and sports items etc.

A few Terrabits:
Near this area in 1796, Major General Thomas Hardwicke (click here for an image
of Spiny-tailed
Lizard named in his honour), was the first to collect plants and shrubs.
The Himalayan Sheep Dog remains silent, almost always, but growls when it
senses a leopard in the area.
A Snow Leopard was reported from Chopta in 1979.
Mispronunciation often means Rhodo-dodo-dendron.
Mahishanand Maithani, nearly 90 yrs of age, daily treks the steep climb up
and down from Chopta to Tungnath.
Bhuk Hartal (literally "Hunger Strike") bus service is the lifeline here.
'Kadik Bam' is the most photographed person at Tunganath and appears in many
posters advertising Uttarakhand.

Chandrashila

The feel:
At the first colour of dawn and the effort of the birds, I started on the kilometer long trek to Chandrashila. Having spent many years in the Himalaya, I was no stranger to the lofty peaks, but must confess that I was awestruck by the magnificent scene on the first view from Chandrashila. It easily surpassed my expectation. Just a few ranges of low forest-covered mountains stood between me and the marbled white mass of the peaks, covering the entire panorama. As I scanned the skyline, the haze of the east gave way to the clear northern peaks of Chaukhamba and others. They all look so near and the skyward peaks climb against a blue sky. The low hung pieces of cloud were floating still hereabouts. Moments before the rising sun became visible, the peaks turned golden-yellow and soon sun-ray shafts pierced the sky, partly creating a halo around Nanda Devi and neighboring peaks. This is how early morning expresses "Himadri", the permanent snowy peaks.

As the day progresses, the low recesses become warm and the stagnancy gets broken.
The keenly outlined mist, dense and heavy at times, white mostly, springs up
from the void of the intervening forest range, only to unite amongst themselves
at the summits, grow further and ascend higher up. The onlooker soon starts
losing sight of the exceptional scenery noticeable moments ago. Nature’s magic
wand waved everyday, a curtain to every bliss.

Some philosophy:
The beauty of this place cannot be described at all. There are only feelings and some clues to solving the mystery. But first, let the stiffness go, if you have come this far, it has probably already gone. At Chandrashila, as you touch the sky, you are at the center of the magical orb. Be there in the early morn, see the sun in Taurus rise and feel the cadence. At first the vast physical emptiness looks monstrous but soon enough you know that the stillness is an illusion. The charm overflows and all reach the "pure mind of a sage".

From Rudraprayag although Chopta can be reached driving along the river Mandakini
via Ookhimath, one can also take the route to Chamoli along the bank of Alaknanda,
take a left turn towards Gopeshwar then to Chopta via Mandal forest.

Accommodation at Dugalbitta PWD rest house is difficult to get, the Himalayan
views here are fantastic though. A paying guesthouse also exists at Dugalbitta.

Alaknanda (brown river) Side:
Gopeshwar (GMVN)

Chopta does not have a GMVN guesthouse but basic camps run by the locals may
serve the purpose. It is always chilly at Chopta and above so moderately heavy
woolens are recommended. After acclimatization, the 3Km trek to Tunganath from
Chopta is relatively easy on the wide mule track. After every Km, one can halt
at the teashops to catch one's breath. Very basic staying options are available
at Tunganath for an early morning trek to Chandrashila the next day and back
to Chopta.